Chapter 14: Now It's Turning Blue, and You Say...

So this is what a hookup relationship is like, I thought to myself the Friday that followed.

I had managed to completely avoid Luke. By hanging out with Nick and posse. Or more like hooking up with Nick. We invited each other to whatever parties we were at, in order to hook up, which was practically every single night. Other than that, there was nothing between us. We didn't do anything together but hook up at each other's parties. It was interesting to say the least.

If it was a party of Nick' the girls and guys usually joined me there. If it was one of mine, he usually brought his friends along too. It was actually going okay. However, I started to notice that Luke was never present.

I asked Andrew about it one night online.

"Okay so I know I'm not speaking to him and all, and things are really fucked up between us, but I still want to know. Where's Luke been recently?"

He didn't reply for a few minutes, and then started typing. It took him a while to say the simplest thing. "I think he's been out with Natalie."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think he's starting hanging out with her and her friends."

"But they're so young!"

"Yeah, well. I don't really know. He hasn't called me lately or anything to hang out, so I don't know."

"He's been out with Natalie?"

"I'm just guessing. They seemed pretty buddy-buddy at the Club."

That was all I needed ... to hear it from one of his best friends ... And one of my best friends ... who wouldn't lie to me...

"Luke's been out with Natalie," I broke the news to Rachel the next day over lunch.

"Seriously?! Where did you find that out?"

"Andrew."

She made a face, "Guys will do anything to cover their buddy's tracks."

"And did you see the way they were acting on Sunday?"

Her face relaxed. "Good point."

"What am I supposed to do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"What am I supposed to do? He's started hanging out with her and her friends!"

"Lauren."

"What?" I looked up from my chicken caesar entree salad.

"Isn't this what you wanted? To have him completely out of your face right now?"

I shrugged, "Yeah, I guess ... Just not out with her."

"Well Laur, where else did you expect him to go?"

I shrugged.

"Be happy, this is exactly what we need!"

"We?"

"I mean you ... actually no, we. As in our group. We don't want to have to deal with all of this between you guys, and neither do you. So now we don't have to."

"That's a good thing..."

"Yep."

Then why did I suddenly feel horrible about it? Instead of happy, like I should have been... ?

That night ... dressed, made up, and ready to go ... I was going out with a mission, accompanied by my best friends. We were throwing a huge party at Paul's. Secretly, I hoped it was bait for Luke.

The party was huge, everyone brought drinks and what not, and people came by the cliques.

Nick came about forty five minutes after we got there.

"Hey," he said, hugging me from behind.

"Hey," I knew it was him from his smell.

So we hooked up again that night.

When we went downstairs an hour later, the party had just reached its peak. Luke was there, no sign of Natalie.

He was casually chatting with Amanda, and then his eyes caught me. He ducked his head, and went back to talking to her.

He left five minutes later.

And that night, I cried myself to sleep.

Why was this happening?

Wasn't this what I wanted?

Luke leaving me alone, and me finding the perfect rebound?

I guess not...